


of starlight smiles and broken words

by catraturnedmegay



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hunk knows everything, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious, Oblivious Lance (Voltron), Pining, hunk is actually the best friend we all need, pidge is gender neutral
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-28 00:11:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16712725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catraturnedmegay/pseuds/catraturnedmegay
Summary: a modern au“lance doesn’t know what he’s feeling, because there is no way in hell that he likes Keith - absolutely no way.”orreality seems changed under the light of a 3AM moon and the slow smile of the one person you never expected to love.





	of starlight smiles and broken words

of starlight smiles and broken words

 **a** **modern** **au**

 

 

**_OR_ —**

reality seems changed under the light of a 3AM moon and the slow smile of the one person you never expected to love

 

 

( _part_ _one_ )

. _ **GOLDEN** **HOOPS** **AND** **FIERY** **SHOES**_

 

 

Lance is in extreme pain.

He is pretty sure that he may have screamed (sorry, yelled; men don’t scream) but to be honest, everything iskind of hazy and his eyesight is blurring.

Unfortunately his mouth doesn’t seem to have any problems and is running a steady stream of curses, alternating between Spanish and English. (To tell the truth, Lance’s Spanish ‘curses’ are more like cries of help and him calling out for his mum but Lance is sure that nobody can tell.)

Lance’s eyes clear and he can see a pretty girl in front of him, all pale skin and long blonde hair and strange purple eyes. He would be totally into her if it wasn’t for the fact that he is currently trying to woo one of his friends.

“Holy shit, that hurt. What did you do - stab a hole through my ear?” The said left ear is throbbing wildly and it hurts to listen. Lance almost cries.

Purple eyes is not amused. “Yes. That’s exactly what I did. You came in here for an ear piercing.”

Lance’s best friend Hunk sniggers.

Lance droops. “Oh yeah.”

Honestly the pain made him forget a lot of things. Like the super sick new piercing he got in his left ear!

He stands up abruptly, feels his stomach whoosh into the floor and hurriedly sits back down. “Do you have a mirror?”

Lance tries his best grin, all teeth and sparkle. It’s the kind of grin that gets all the girls swooning and Lance out of trouble with fearsome teachers, angry dads and sometimes if he’s lucky - his parents. However it does not work on Pidge, another of Lance’s besties. He thinks it is because they are currently on the path to world domination and nothing, not even Lance’s grin is going to stop them. To tell the truth, Lance is the tiniest bit afraid of them.

Lance is also scared of Allura but thats a story for another time.

Purple eyes rolls her eyes but grabs a small mirror and hands it to Lance. He snatches it eagerly and gazes greedily into the mirror.

It looks dope.

A small gold hoop hangs from his ear, contrasting warmly with his tanned skin.

Damn, gold is definitely his colour!

“Waddya think?” Lance turns to Hunk. “You reckon Allura’s gonna go crazy for me once she sees this?”

Story time: Lance is in love with Allura. She is gorgeous in that innocent but totally badass way. Lance suspects that people underestimate her because of her hair. It is naturally white and oh-so-angelic, and it contrasts so beautifully with her dark skin that Lance almost can’t believe she is real.

Anyway, Lance has been persuing after Allura for almost a year now. He’s been a great friend and he even stood by her when that massive shit of a turd, Lotor, broke her heart.

Now that Lotor is out of the picture, Lance knows Allura is going to fall head over heels for him. She just has to notice him as more than a friend first.

Actually! (surprisingly enough), Allura has been paying more attention to Lance recently and that is really brightening his mood.

“Um.” Hunk says, dragging Lance out of his Allura daze. “Y-es?”

He drags out the y, giving Lance the impression that Hunk is not entirely convinced.

Hunk. Where should Lance begin? Well Lance and Hunk have been friends for years now. It all started when they went to some fancy arse school full of little white boys with their heads stuck so far down their arses that they couldn’t see clearly.

Anyway, they teased Hunk about the colour of his skin and his weight, and that got Lance majorly pissed off so he (the scrawny little eleven year old who could barely stand straight when the wind blew hard) broke the lead bully’s nose and promptly landed himself a months worth of detention and a lifelong best friend.

Now Hunk is the biggest ray of sunshine (maybe he wears the colour yellow and orange maybe a tad too often but Lance still loves him) and he never has anything bad to say about anyone. And despite the odds, they’ve stuck together, even forming a motley group of friends to march along side them (but more about his friends later).

“I’m sure Allura will love it,” Hunk says as tentatively as he can.

Lance doesn’t pay attention. “Of course she will. Now lets get out of this dump - ” oops, that was the wrong thing to say as purple eyes shoots Lance a fearsome glare - “and go meet the gang for dinner at the dorm.”

Lance finishes solidly, a bright smile lit upon his face.

Hunk sighs, rolls his eyes good naturdly, and lets out a grin of his own. “You know it.”

.

They make it back to the university dorm just in time for dinner and from the smells wafting out of the top floor, Lance regrets bring Hunk along with him to get his ear pierced.

Another quick note on Hunk: he is probably the worlds best chef (according to Lance anyway) and is officially the gangs meal maker.

Apparently the rest of Lance’s no good, unless friends (apart from Allura of course) can’t cook.

Hunk smells the burnt air and Lance swears that tears spring to his eyes. “My kitchen!” he whimpers, and he yanks open the door that leads to the groups common room.

Lance still can’t get over the fact that the six of them, plus Coran their supervisor, practically live on the same floor along with a common room that joins with a kitchen. It’s like a dream come true.

He enters after Hunk and immediately stops in horror.

One of the curtains is on fire.

Hunk is screaming.

Pidge is darting around the room, trying to put out said fire.

Coran is racing after Keith’s dog (Lance swears its some kind of well behaved wolf).

Shiro is trying to take control of the situation but failing miserably.

Allura is trying to rescue all the glassware and the plates that are left strewn across the room in the dogs chaotic wake.

And Keith is staring at Lance with an unreadable expression, holding his knife carefully.

“What’s happening?” Lance manages.

“Coran tried to cook.”

Those four words explain the whole situation to Lance. He nods. Fair enough.

Keith slides to the floor and leans against the wall closest to the door. He is still holding his knife very carefully and to be honest, Lance is the tiniest bit scared. He is also not turned on at all because scary knife wielding mullet boys are not turn on worthy. Now Allura on the other hand - he cannot count the number of times he’s popped a -

And no. He’s not going to think about that right now. So Lance closes the door behind him and joins the knife wielding boy.

“I got my ear pierced.”

Keith snorts.

Lance stares indignantly at the stupid mullet wearing asshole. “What?”

“A piercing?” he runs his eyes over Lance’s face and takes in the gold hoop. “Looks ridiculous.”

Okay first of all, the common room is about three seconds away from burning down and second of all, Lance went through some extreme pain to get his ear pierced and third, what does Keith know about ear piercing?

“That was extremely uncalled for,” says Lance, jabbing his finger into that stupid pricks face. “You have just majorly pissed me off.”

Keith raises his eyebrows in mock horror. “Oh I’m so scared!”

Lance sees red. Looking back on it now, he realises that he might have slightly overreacted but in his defense! Keith was being unreasonably mean.

He launches himself at Keith and the two roll around the room, grappling and each trying to pin the other down.

In the tangle of limbs, neither of the two realise that they have found themselves into the kitchen until Hunk lets out an extremely loud yell and Lance feels the unexpected sting of something incredible sharp.

Lance’s shoe is on fire.

His incredibly expensive Converse.

Lance stomps his foot into the closest thing which just so happens to be Keith’s stomach.

Keith’s shirt is on fire.

Keith is yelling.

Lance’s shoe is still on fire.

Lance is yelling.

Hunk is screaming.

Then everything goes white.

Now as Lance looks back on everything, he comes to the conclusion that that particular moment was where everything actually started: Lance and Keith on fire, Pidge spraying them with the fire extinguisher and Hunk watching in horror.

Yes, thats where everything started.

 

( _part_ _two_ )

. ** _EARLY_** **_MORNINGS_** **_AND_** **_DARK_** **_LOOKS_**

 

Lance is furious. They are currently eating pizza and now and then, Keith will look up from his meat lovers pizza and shoot Lance an incredibly dark look that makes Lance so grateful that he bunks with Hunk. Hunk will protect him, and Hunk loves him.

Lance is sure of that fact at least.

Keith’s dog, Kosovo, sniffs around the table, looking for dropped pizza. Technically dogs aren’t allowed in the dorms but Coran is a very lenient supervisor and currently no-one has complained, or even noticed the dog.

“So...Allura,” Lance wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. “Notice anything different about me?”

Allura stares at him quizzically. “Haircut?” she offers.

Lance shakes his head. “Try again.”

“New clothes?”

“Nope.”

“Oh I’ve got it!” Allura smiles.

Lance sits up taller and hope strikes him through his heart.

“You’ve got your teeth whitened!”

Keith lets out a laugh. Lance glares daggers at him.

“Frankly he’s a little insulted that Allura (of all people!) thinks that he’s had his teeth whitened. “No, these are all natural baby!” He struggles to keep the annoyance out of his voice. How hard can it be!

“I got my ear pierced!” Lance proudly shows off his new bling.

Keith snorts.

“Alright, I’ve had it Keith!” Lance snaps. “What is your problem?”

Keith stands up, his chair scraping harshly on the wooden panels. “I’ll tell you what my problem is. It’s the tiny little fact that you! _set me on fire!_ ”

“I already told you,” and Lance is standing as well. “I didn’t mean too. It’s not my fault I panicked.”

“You set my favourite shirt on fire!”

“If you don’t stop bringing it up, I’ll do it again!”

“Right, you’re asking for it you little -“

“Keith!” It’s Shiro. “Lance! That’s enough.”

Lance glowers at Keith.

Keith gives him the finger.

“Right, that’s it. You two are going to have to learn how to get along. We’re all sick of your constant bickering.” Shiro is using his Dad Voice™.

Lance gulps.

“Make them sleep together,” Pidge pipes up, grinning wickedly.

Lance splutters and to his horror he finds that he is blushing. Keith isn’t faring any better.

“Excuse me? I would ne-”

“Relax you dirty minded freaks,” Pidge chuckles. “I meant you should sleep in the same room. And do everything together. Like a get along shirt!”

Shiro nods thoughtfully and Coran laughs. “What a brilliant idea, no.5! I couldn’t have put it better myself!”

As much as Lance loves Coran, at the current moment he has never hated a man this much before. He also hates Pidge more that humanly possible because this should not be happening - no, no, no, _no, this cannot be happening_!

“Right, so it’s settled then,” Shiro says, a grin of his own forming.

“Um no, it’s not!” Lance shrieks. “He’ll kill me!”

“I’m not going to argue with that,” says Keith, smirking.

“Anyway, you can’t just order us about like that.” Lance finishes, chin in the air, proud of his point. He always knew he could have been a debater.

“Exactly.” Keith adds.

“You will,” says Coran. “Or I’ll take away your access cards, which means you will temporarily be on house arrest for the midterm break.”

“But it’s the midterm break!” protests Lance. “You can’t expect me to sty here for these entire two weeks. And I’m pretty sure that’s classified as child abuse.

“I can and I will.” Coran is looking like a ginger legend, moustache fluttering in the small breeze that enters through the window, head held proudly, skin glimmering in the light. Lance doesn’t know whether to be proud of the man as he’s looking so beautiful or cry, because it’s just not fair.

“Hunk? Allura?” Lance turns to the others for help.

“Sorry buddy,” Hunk says. The betrayal stings like crazy.

Lance will never forgive him. “Allura?”

She shakes her head regretfully. “I’m sorry Lance but I think its a good idea. It will bring us all closer. Plus it would suck to be grounded on the holidays.” She sends him a wink and Lance almost falls over.

Was Allura hinting at going on a date?

With Lance?

The world could end now and Lance would be happy.

Before Lance realises, he’s agreed. Shiro begins to explain the terms and conditions.

“Lance, you will swap rooms with me and last the final two weeks, You will also have to try and make an effort to get along. Plus, you are not allowed to be without each other for more than ten minutes not including class time.”

“What!” This time its Keith who erupts. “This is ridiculous. You can’t expect us to - ”

“We can and we will. Your bickering is out of control.” Shiro is deadly serious and he is using his Extra Stern Dad Voice™. Lance begins to wilt. “Everyone is sick of it. We just want you to at least try to get along. Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes Shiro,” both Lance and Keith grumble.

Lance refuses to make eye contact.

This is bullshit.

 

.

Lance doesn’t talk to Keith. He places the last of his clothes into the chest of drawers and decides to sulk on his bed. He doesn’t know how he’s going to last these two weeks. Plus he’s got all his midterm exams and he’s very stressed.

Keith lets out a low groan and flops onto his bed.

The air is awkward.

Lance doesn’t speak.

“Uh.” Keith is clearing his throat and Lance looks up reluctantly. “Look I’m sorry about the whole earring thing.”

“Finally the mighty Keith apologises!” Lance is the sarcasm master.

Keith lets out a low growl (Lance doesn’t find it hot at all, no, not at all). “Forget it. I don’t even know why I try.”

He turns away, his face to the wall and Lance feels the tiniest bit guilty. The guy was only trying to apologise after all.

“I’m having a shower,” he announces to the empty air. Keith doesn’t even bother to reply.

 

Lance lets the steaming hot water rush over him and wash away all the stress and anger from the past couple of days. He sighs in relief. Finally some peace and quiet where he can have some sort of existential crisis like he normally does .

The door bursts open.

Lance screams.

Keith screams.

Lance is naked.

Keith is only wearing a towel around his waist.

Keith has abs.

Keith looks unbearably hot.

Lance doesn’t know why he is thinking about that.

“Holy shit!” he yells. “Get out, get out!”

“I’m so sorry, I forgot you- ”

“I don’t care, get out!”

Keith leaves just as fast as he enters.

Lance tries to calm his racing heart. He feels hot and cold all over; his heart is beating erratically and his cheeks are flushed. The water continues to cascade down his body as Lance continues to try and calm himself down.

 

 

( _part_ _three_ )

. **_SOFT_** **_SMILES_** **_AND_** **_SMALL_** **_CHANGES_**

 

Lance is dreaming.

He only knows this because some guy called Bob is glaring at him and telling him to choose between Keith and Allura.

“Not a problem!” Lance wants to say, smiling confidently. “I choose Allura.”

But suddenly Keith’s startled expression and his strong torso comes flashing into his mind.

“Time’s running out,” warns Bob and Lance starts to sweat.

 

Lance wakes with a start, the remnants of his dream swirling around through his thoughts. His heart is pounding and he is sweating.

There is a groan from the bed on the other side of the room and Keith sits up, all rumpled hair and sleepy eyes. His mullet is looking more like an afro. “What time is it?” he grumbles and it takes a second for Lance to reply because his heart just skipped a beat.

“Uh 6.14,” he manages, staring at the glowing digits of his alarm clock.

Keith lets out a muffled ‘ _fuck_!’ and slowly gets out of his bed.

Lance rubs the sleep from his eyes and flops back onto his bed. He just needs five more minutes.

“Get the fuck up!”

This shout startles Lance so much that he jolts upwards and slams his head against Keith’s. “Fucking hell, that hurt!”

They both fall back cursing. Keith glares at Lance. “Get your arse into gear McClain, we’re going for coffee before class.”

“What? Lance mumbles, not sure he is hearing properly. Maybe that bang caused him to receive a concussion.

“Coffee,” repeats Keith slowly, speaking as though Lance is stupid (which he is most certainly not, thank you very much). “Our coffee machine is broken- ”

“-again?” Lance whines.

“Yes again, and I desperately need to get a coffee and Shiro will kick both our arses if we don’t go along with those fucking terms and conditions so we’re going to Cafe Altea.” Keith is scowling.

To tell the truth, early morning Keith scares him almost as much as Pidge. Lance decides not to push him. “Okay.”

“So get dressed!” Keith growls and Lance scrambles into gear.

He struggles with his pants and pulls on his trusty army green jacket. With a sigh, he grabs his messenger bag full of books and an organised mess of pens and highlighters. “Ready.”

“Finally,” says Keith but surprisingly his voice is almost soft.

The pair head out, Lance grabbing some leftover pizza for his breakfast.

Keith rolls his eyes in disgust.

Lance ignores him. Pizza is an entirely healthy and well deserved meal choice for breakfast. Keith is just an uneducated fool.

The two walk past the beautiful campus of Voltron Academy in a sleepy silence. Lance is regretting picking early morning classes (although this is not the first time. There have been many occasions where Pidge has dumped a bucket full of ice-cold water over his gorgeous face. A fact: cold water in the morning is not a good skin care treatment). They arrive at Cafe Altea, a small friendly cafe, literally two minutes away from campus. It has been known to house struggling college students during exams and Keith and Lance are no exception.

“Hi Acxa!” Lance calls out cheerfully, shooting the pretty purple haired girl a flirty smile. She rolls her eyes.

“Hi Lance.” Her voice suddenly drops all sultry like. “Hey Keith.”

Lance frowns and watches in confusion as Keith sends Acxa a soft smile. Lance hasn’t seen Keith smile like that for a while now.

“Lance?”

“Huh?” Lance snaps to attention and turns to face Keith’s inquisitive gaze. “Do you want a coffee?”

“Oh, yes, um can I have a double shot caramel latte with three sugars?”

Keith shakes his head in mock disgust. “I can’t believe you actually drink that shit.”

Lance grins. “It’s the greatest coffee you’ll ever have the honour of resting your eyes upon.”

Keith lets out a small laugh and Lance actually stops in his tracks. He’s never heard Keith laugh like that and something lights in chest as he realises that he, _Lance_ _McClain_ , caused that to happen.

And as the two sit and sip at their respective coffee’s, Lance can’t help but to peek over the rim of his cup and watch Keith - sun shining into his dark hair and illuminating him in a warm light. Strangely he thinks that Keith could almost be classified as beautiful.

 

.

It is currently 10.30 at night and Lance is starting to stress. He has one of big exams tomorrow, English - his heart is pounding and he is starting to work himself up. All the words blur before him and he rubs his eyes frantically but they aren’t becoming clearer. Lance lets out a shriek of pure stress and yeets the book all the way across the room where it hits the wall and falls to the floor with a depressing thump.

Keith raises his head curiously from his own study and stares at the pure and utter mess that is Lance McClain. “Study break?” he suggests and Lance leaps at the suggestion.

“Yes please!” he all but begs, and his heart thumps as Keith lets out another one of those small laughs, all scrunched up nose and shaking dark hair out of his eyes.

“Two minute noodles?” he asks and Lance nods. Of course, that boy knows him all too well. (Lance is currently struggling with an instant noodle addiction and it is very serious, so serious that even Pidge - who Lance is sure doesn’t sleep, and is fuelled off coffee brewed with red-bull - has commented on it.)

Keith disappears from the room and Lance lets his head fall against his bed. It’s been around three days since he’s moved into Keith’s room and so far so good. Although the two don’t always get along, they’ve stopped bickering so wildly and Lance can even admit that maybe, just maybe, he might actually like Keith?

Not in a romantic way, of course - no, Lance would never date a guy with a mullet, even if that guy might be totally hot, and super sweet when he wants to be and -

Lance stops thinking and is still for a solid three seconds.

 _What_ _is_ _happening_ _to_ _him_!?

Why is he thinking about Keith in that way? Keith is barely even a friend, let alone someone to crush on. Lance lets out a groan.

 _Why_ _do_ _things_ _have_ _to_ _be_ _so_ _complicated_!

“Fuck, shit, fuck, fuck - ow that goddamn hurts!”

Lance jolts up in confusion as Keith comes barreling into the room, clutching two bowls of what look like boiling hot two minute noodles. He is swearing and his face is contorted into an expression of extreme pain.

“Keith? What are you doing?”

“Being a fucking idiot, was it not obvious, dumbass?” Keith yells, carefully putting down the two bowls on the floor (actually he dumped them on the floor and noodles slopped everywhere) and hissing in pain, clutching his alarmingly red hands.

“Keith,” says Lance, breaking his name down into a laugh. “C’mere.”

The dark haired boy sits opposite Lance, violet eyes curious. Lance gently pulls Keith’s hands towards him, prompting the other boy to let out a soft gasp. He runs his tanned fingers over Keith’s red hands, not even realising what he is doing, more involved in the moment; skin brushing against skin, soft breaths and somehow it is so quietly _intimate_ that a light flush brushes against Lance’s cheeks. He gazes up and his breath catches in his throat and he almost chokes as Keith’s violet eyes are locked with his, a tinge of red lit upon his own cheeks. There is something raw written in both of their eyes, and neither of the two fully understand what it means.

Then Lance coughs suddenly, and looks away - and the spell is broken. The two boys quickly scramble away from each other, heat in their cheeks and a strange warmth in their hearts.

“Anyway, don’t do that again, idiot,” Lance coughs, almost forcing out an insult although the words have no real heat to them.

Keith nods, still flushed. “Yeah sure, whatever. Hope you enjoy your noodles now that you know how much pain was put into them.”

The two slurp at their noodles and there is the tiniest trace of awkwardness but Lance quickly brushes it off with a bad joke or two. Lance continues studying and when Keith offers to help he agrees. He is surprised because Keith is actually helpful, going over certain concepts until he is sure that Lance fully understands it.

It is 3AM when they finally finish, and Lance is feeling halfway prepared. He shoots a look over at Keith, all ruffled hair and tired eyes; something so raw and unguarded in his composure. “Hey man,” he says softly and Keith turns his tired eyes to look at Lance. “Thanks.”

Keith smiles a small, soft, tired smile. “No problem.”

That night (or morning actually) Lance goes to sleep with a full heart, some kind of warmth that he doesn’t fully understand yet.

 

 

 

( _part_ _four_ )

. **_BLEEDING_** **_HEARTS_** **_AND_** **_DANCING_** **_STARS_**

 

Lance is sitting next to Hunk, licking his ice cream. The two are sitting under a tree, waiting for Keith to finish his biology class. The week has gone past, and Keith and Lance have gotten closer - from morning smiles to coffee and late night study sessions - Lance can definitely feel something changing in his relationship with Keith. Sure they’ve had some arguments but only over stupid little things. Lance is beginning to realise that maybe he even enjoys Keith’s company.

“So how are things going with Keith?” Hunk asks curiously and Lance jumps because _goddamn_! it was almost like Hunk was reading his thoughts. He shoots the dark skinned boy a suspicious look.

“Alright I guess. We haven’t really fought much lately,” Lance replies, surprising himself with his answer. “Strange, he’s almost likeable when he isn’t yelling at me. Anyway- ” and Lance is changing the subject because he doesn’t feel like talking about Keith anymore; he doesn’t want to talk about the smiles they’ve shared and their rapidly changing relationship when they’ve started to try to get along, and he _especially_ doesn’t want to talk about how his heart starts beating strangely whenever he gets close to that infuriating mullet - no, he does not at all want to talk about that. So he changes the subject to something comfortable, something so obviously Lance, so that Hunk won’t look into his eyes and read him like a book (Hunk is scarily good at reading people) and spill all his secrets. “Do you think I can get Allura to go out with me over the midterm break?”

Hunk sighs and rolls his eyes, and there is something strange written over his face. “Look, Lance,” he begins, “Can I be honest with you?”

Lance nods curiously.

“I’m not sure that Allura is that into you and - _let_ _me_ _finish_ \- I’m not sure you really like her. This is what I think, and feel free to correct me, but I think you’re just into the whole idea of Allura; pretty girl, nice hair, badass and sugar sweet. Maybe you were into her at one point but that faded and you remained infatuated with the idea of ‘Allura and Lance’. I don’t think you truly hold feelings for her. In fact I think the reason Keith gets on your nerves so much- ”

“Stop.” Lance is frowning and his heart is beating so loud that he can hear it, and this is exactly what he didn’t want - a confrontation with his feelings because _he_ _doesn’t_ _know_ _what_ _he’s_ _feeling_ , _damn_ it and yes, he’s not really into Allura, but he’s also not quite sure about how he stands with Keith because one one hand, they’re rivals, Keith and Lance, neck and neck, and on the other, friends, close friends that could maybe lead onto something more. Lance is confused and maybe a little scared to be honest, and he doesn’t exactly want to have Hunk psychoanalysis him at the moment. “Don’t even try to tell me that I don’t have feelings for Allura and instead I’m trying to hide my feelings for Keith. I don’t like him at all and I never will. He is an arsehole who only cares for himself and - no, let me finish Hunk- ”

“But- ” Hunk’s eyes are wide.

“I’m only doing this whole getting along with each other thing because Shiro threatened to take away my access card. I have no feelings for Keith whatsoever apart from general annoyance and indifference. He’s a lone wolf for christ sakes! He keeps to himself and doesn’t get involved with anyone, except maybe Shiro, so there’s no way he’s ever gonna last himself a good relationship, plus he has a mull- ”

Lance trails off as he sees Hunk’s horrified expression. An awful feeling thuds into the bottom of his stomach and he slowly turns around.

Keith is standing there, an unreadable expression flickering in his beautiful eyes and Lance feels so, so guilty. “Right, glad you’ve sorted out your feelings for me.” His voice is rough and maybe even the tiniest bit raw.

Lance’s heart is a drum, beating loudly in his ears. He can’t believe he repeated those words that Keith had spoken in confidence to him during one of their midnight talks -

 

“ _Lance_ \- _I’m_ _scared_. _I_ _always_ _push_ _people_ _away_ _before_ _they_ _can_ _hurt_ _me_. _I don’t know why, it’s just a reflex I guess, but I there’s something wrong with me? Because normal people don’t do that shit, normal people can form healthy relationtionships with others.” Keith lets out a dry sob and Lance can hear him shifting in his bed._

“ _Keith, there is nothing wrong with you,” Lance says firmly, trying to push all his compassion into a couple of sentences. “You can form healthy relationships with others, it just takes time. Plus I’m here for you,” and Lance colours even though it is dark and Keith cannot see him. “I mean, we’re all here for you.”_  

“ _You mean it?” Keith asks, and his voice is broken and tired, and Lance just wants to sweep him up into his arms and hold him so, so tight._

“ _Of course I mean it, mullet.”_

 

_Hours later, when Lance is almost asleep, he hears two words being spoken into the comfortable silence._

“ _Thank_ _you_.”

 

“Keith- ” he tries, reaching out a limp hand.

“No, forget it Lance, you’ve made everything extremely clear.” His cold gaze makes Lance want to shrivel up and die, because how could Lance even think those things, let alone say them. “From now on, we stay away from each other, and don’t even try and talk to me.” Keith is glaring and Lance is dying.

And then Keith - beautiful, stupid, gorgeous Keith, walks away and leaves Lance standing, watching him go, clutching a tattered heart in one hand and a dripping ice-cream in another.

.

Lance is dreaming.

Bob is standing before him again. “So who have you chosen?”

Lance is looking at Allura but she smiles sadly at him and then shakes her head. “You don’t truly love me Lance.”

Lance begins to protest but stops. She’s right.

He looks at Bob.

“You’ve made your decision then.”

Lance nods. “Yes.”

Keith smiles at him and his heart flips.

 

Then Lance wakes up.

Everything comes rushing back - the hurtful lies, Lance’s desperation for Hunk’s words to be false. His world crashing around him.

Keith isn’t talking to Lance.

They continue with the deal but there are no more early coffee runs and no more late night study sessions. There are no more jokes or soft smiles.

As much as Lance hates to admit it, he knows Hunk’s words are true. He thought he was in love with Allura. Now the more he thinks about it, he realises that maybe it was just the idea of her. Just the other day, he confessed everything to her. She ended up being a great listener.

Once Lance had finished, she gave him a big hug and told him to go get his man. He knows that she will be a great friend to him. (She also told him that she is a lesbian and that she is currently dating Romelle, the same girl that did his ear piercing, but that’s not relevant)

The only problem is, Keith is currently ignoring everything Lance says and does. He ignores all the notes, the apologies, all the pleading.

So Lance is currently experiencing a heartache like no other. He don’t know what to do.

Just recently he told the rest of the gang and they all gave him comforting smiles (although Pidge yelled _took_ _you_ _fucking_ _long_ _enough_ _to_ _realise_ _that,_ right in Lance’s face).

Hunk told him to be patient.

Shiro told him to try and understand it from Keith’s perspective.

Coran told him to apologise.

Pidge told him to be honest (after screaming at him for a solid five minutes).

And Allura told him to wait for the rIggy moment.

But now it is dark and cold and the glowing lights on his tabletop read 03.00.

3AM.

Lance is awake and heartbroken at three fucking am, and there is nothing more tragic, he thinks to himself, nothing more tragic than a man sulking in the early hours of the morning. He lets out a soft sigh and rolls onto his side in the attempt to fall back asleep. His dream is niggling at his thoughts and Keith’s face is flitting through his thoughts causing his heart to flutter and jump.

Lance lets out a loud groan, and turns his head to view Keith’s bed. Of course, it’s dark and the boy can’t see anything. He debates whether or not Keith will kill him if he turns on his lamp, or! maybe he won’t die because Keith would have to acknowledge him in order to kill him. And Keith hasn’t acknowledged Lance for a whole week now.

Lance grins at his smartness and promptly turns on the light. He blinks wildly and buries his head into his pillow for a couple of seconds until his eyes adjust to the sudden brightness and then he blinks again as he realises that Keith is not in his bed - just a lump of covers and pillows.

With a frown, Lance throws back the covers and stands up. Where would Keith be at 3AM in the morning? Then suddenly -almost as if god herself sent Lance the thought- he realises. The roof!

The college dorm is seven stories high and houses around 100 - 200 desperate students. Lance and the gang are currently residing on the top floor and around five months ago, Pidge had discovered a rickety iron ladder leading to the room. They had pulled up chairs and cushions and prayed that they wouldn’t get blown away or rained on.

So Lance gets up, cursing Keith and his stupid, beautiful ass and walks away (quite reluctantly) from the comfort of his warm bed and into the cold air. He makes it down the hallway, passing Hunk and Shiro’s room (there is some loud snoring and Lance isn’t sure who is making them), past Allura and Pidge’s room (he’s almost 100% sure that Pidge is not human and does not sleep) and then he’s facing the rusting iron ladder that he is frankly not happy about climbing. He’s pretty sure that he might die if he ascends but it’s for Keith, he tells himself.

So, heart in throat, Lance climbs. And as the boy climbs, he begins to realise that maybe this little crush on Keith is something more. He hasn’t admitted to anyone, let alone himself, but this ‘rivalry’ that the two have had was all from Lance. He hated that Keith was better at him at everything, and he hated that Keith’s stupid face made him feel stupid thoughts and feelings that he wan’t ready to face.

Lance makes it up the ladder alive (and he is pretty relieved that he didn’t die) and his breath catches in his throat as he sees the dark outline of Keith, amongst the dancing stars; a striking figure and he is so, so beautiful.

Lance makes his way forward and takes a seat next to the obnoxiously pretty boy.

Keith scowls. “What are you doing here Lance?” His voice is tired and it’s the most acknowledgement Lance has received all week so he takes it as a good sign.

“To apologise,” Lance says softly and Keith looks at him with tired eyes. “Look man, I said some real shitty things, things that are not okay. But the only reason I said those things was because I trying to deny some stuff Hunk said to me, and more importantly, I was trying to deny my feelings.”

Lance pauses and glances at Keith. He is staring at Lance with a soft expression on his normally stern face. And that is when Lance realises something; in the warm light of a 3AM moon, the one person he had hated - the one person he was supposed to hate, the whole rivalry thing, had gotten confused amongst the dancing stars and had turned to something that Lance supposes, maybe, could be the capacity for love.

He opens his mouth to try and voice his feelings, to try and make sense of the tangled thoughts racing through his mind but Keith is staring at him with wide violet eyes and suddenly he can’t speak. “Fuck,” Lance says, and he leans forwards, grabs Keith and kisses him.

Keith lets out the softest of gasps and then he kisses Lance back, he kisses Lance with the strength of a thousand suns and thats almost what this kiss feels like; fierce and wild and it is the result of hidden feelings, and denied thoughts. There is an electricity racing between them, something so free and so, so right.

“ _I_ _forgive_ _you_ ,” says Keith, through their eager lips and crashing tongues.

And that is where they stay for the rest of the morning, nestled under the soft moon, watching the stars dance amongst the inky blackness of the night.

 

 

 _fin_.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> okay lol, i spent way too long on this but klance literally owns my ass. lmao its really sad how some gay cartoon boys have become my obsession ((;  
> enjoy pls


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